The present invention relates to the field of multi-phase information analysis applied to the detection and diagnosis of heart disease and more particularly to an Internet or intranetxe2x80x94based system for receiving information concerning a patient and analyzing such information through a plurality of computer resources adapted to apply algorithmic analysis to the information and comparison of the waveform results against a database of known diagnoses to thereby determine the likelihood of heart disease in the patient.
Cybernetics theory, utilizing Fast Fourier Transforms (xe2x80x9cFFT""s), to analyze minute changes in the waveforms of analog signals has been known for years. Application of these theories to EKG outputs is the subject of the book xe2x80x9cEKG and EEG Multiphase Information Analysis,xe2x80x9d written by Prof. Genquan Feng, and copyrighted in 1992, the contents of which are incorporated by reference (xe2x80x9cProfessor""s Bookxe2x80x9d) EMPI technology, as disclosed in Professor""s Book represents a novel way of analyzing EKG and EEG signals through use of FFT""s.
Also known are systems that employ EMPI technology, as shown in the following U.S. Patent which are co-licensed U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,649,544; 5,542,429; 5,533,522; 5,509,425. None of these patents, however, teach an Intranet or intranet solution involving remote data gathering and analysis of information. While U.S. Pat. No. 5,421,343, also co-licensed, discloses certain aspects of remote data acquisition, it fails to account for the division of activities and information flow between multiple computers, data base configurations, firewalls, or other aspect of a complete solution for detection of heart disease.
Additionally, EKG information is but one form of information that can be acquired about a patient""s condition and health, and hence it is heretofore unknown to acquire information from a clinical questionnaire, audio pickups (showing audible heart information) and video images of patients in a comprehensive manner which, when added to EMPI, provides more accurate diagnostic ability.
It is thus an object of the instant invention to provide an Internet (or intranet)xe2x80x94based solution to enable remote data collection of heart-related information (EKG, audio, patient information and video images), initial analysis, and transmission via the Internet (or intranet) to a server where diagnoses in accordance with EMPI process steps can occur and reports are generated, and further involving a comprehensive database, including patient data collected via a clinical questionnaire and video images of patient, all as described and achieved hereinbelow.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of the disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages, and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.
The foregoing objects and other objects of the invention are achieved through a method and system for the detection of heart disease in a patient, having a remote testing unit for gathering analog data concerning the status of a patient""s heart, converting the data to digital form, applying FFT""s to the converted data, transferring the data to a computer for analysis. The analytic computer applies mathematical translation to the data received from the remote testing unit into a plurality of different graphical patterns representative of various states of the patient""s heart. A data base is also employed that has graphical patterns representative of various states of a plurality of patients"" hearts from normal through disease states. The analytic computer compares the graphical patterns of the patient""s heart against the data base of graphical patterns recognizes at least one pattern in the data base more similar to the graphical patterns of the patient""s heart. The analytic computer then determines a likely diagnosis of the patient""s heart as a result of the recognized patterns and outputs the likely diagnosis. Application of Internet and intranet solutions are also provided. A comprehensive data base for storing a wealth of information including clinical data and data acquired is also provided. Firewall protection to maintain confidentiality is included.
Other features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed solely for purposes of illustration and not as a definition of the limits of the invention, for which reference should be made to the appended claims.